New York Centrals Mercury Richard J. Cook, Sr.It was a sensation in its time, a train that was a winged messenger of hope for a Depression consciousness. The Mercury, billed by the New York Central as a Train of Tomorrow, appeared on the scene in1936, a completely new streamlined train for the Cleveland-Detroit passenger business. People flock ed to the NYC tracks just to watch the train go by. The Mercurys have been called a turning point inrailroad design. They were the first streamliners done as a unit, inside and out, custom-built, str eamlined and air-conditioned. This is the story of Americas most distinguished train. Sftbd., 8 1/2x11, 6 pgs., 131 b&w ill., 7 color.
A full generation has passed since a New York Central emblem dashed across the countryside on a railroad car, but few could ever forget "the greatest railroad in the world." The New York Central System grew from an amalgamation of smaller lines stretching from Albany to Buffalo in the 1830s. Twenty years later, the lines were gathered into a single company. Its phenomenal success did not go unnoticed by Cornelius "the Commodore" Vanderbilt. In his late sixties, when most men retire, he methodically started acquiring railroads in the New York City and Hudson River region. He then acquired the New York Central and merged it with his Hudson River Railroad. The Commodore and his son William, the foremost rail barons of their age, forged ahead with one of the most dynamic future-directed endeavors in the world-a railroad empire that traversed 11 states and 2 Canadian provinces.
“Looks behind the facade to see the hidden engineering marvels . . . will deepen anyone’s appreciation for New York’s most magnificent interior space.” —The New York Times Book Review Winner of the Professional/Scholarly Publishing Award in Architecture from the Association of American Publishers Grand Central Terminal, one of New York City’s preeminent buildings, stands as a magnificent Beaux-Arts monument to America’s Railway Age, and it remains a vital part of city life today. Completed in 1913 after ten years of construction, the terminal became the city’s most important transportation hub, linking long-distance and commuter trains to New York’s network of subways, elevated trains, and streetcars. Its soaring Grand Concourse still offers passengers a majestic gateway to the wonders beyond 42nd Street. In Grand Central Terminal, Kurt C. Schlichting traces the history of this spectacular building, detailing the colorful personalities, bitter conflicts, and Herculean feats of engineering that lie behind its construction. Schlichting begins with Cornelius Vanderbilt—“The Commodore”—whose railroad empire demanded an appropriately palatial passenger terminal in the heart of New York City. Completed in 1871, the first Grand Central was the largest rail facility in the world and yet—cramped and overburdened—soon proved thoroughly inadequate for the needs of this rapidly expanding city. William Wilgus, chief engineer of the New York Central Railroad, conceived of a new Grand Central Terminal, one that would fully meet the needs of the New York Central line. Grand Central became a monument to the creativity and daring of a remarkable age. More than a history of a train station, this book is the story of a city and an age as reflected in a building aptly described as a secular cathedral.
Richly illustrated with over 200 photos, this book tells the story of railroad streamliners, from their early days as short little articulated speedsters to their halcyon years as 20-car "cities on wheels"--Places that were going somewhere. And it also tells a story of a time of individuality, when streamliners reflected the personality of the regions they served.
The true story of Raymond Loewy, whose designs are still celebrated for their unerring ability to advance American consumer taste. Born in Paris in 1893 and trained as an engineer, Raymond Loewy revolutionized twentieth-century American industrial design. Combining salesmanship and media savvy, he created bright, smooth, and colorful logos for major corporations that included Greyhound, Exxon, and Nabisco. His designs for Studebaker automobiles, Sears Coldspot refrigerators, Lucky Strike cigarette packs, and Pennsylvania Railroad locomotives are iconic. Beyond his timeless designs, Loewy carefully built an international reputation through the assiduous courting of journalists and tastemakers to become the face of both a new profession and a consumer-driven vision of the American dream. In Streamliner, John Wall traces the evolution of an industry through the lens of Loewy's eclectic life, distinctive work, and invented persona. How, he asks, did Loewy build a business while transforming himself into a national brand a half century before "branding" became relevant? Placing Loewy in context with the emerging consumer culture of the latter half of the twentieth century, Wall explores how his approach to business complemented—or differed from—that of his well-known contemporaries, including industrial designers Henry Dreyfuss, Walter Teague, and Norman Bel Geddes. Wall also reveals how Loewy tailored his lifestyle to cement the image of "designer" in the public imagination and why the self-promotion that drove Loewy to the top of his profession began to work against him at the end of his career. Streamliner is an important and engaging work on one of the longest-lived careers in industrial design.
The passenger train has long held a special place in the imagination of Americans, and Indiana was once a bustling passenger train crossroads. Limiteds, Locals, and Expresses in Indiana, 1838–1971 brings to life the countless locals, accommodation trains, and secondary expresses that Hoosiers patronized during the Golden Age of the passenger train. Craig Sanders gives us a comprehensive history of intercity passenger service in Indiana, from the time railroads began to develop in the state in the mid-19th century through May 1, 1971, when Amtrak began operations. Each chapter summarizes the history and development of one railroad, discusses the factors that shaped that railroad's passenger service—such as prolonged financial difficulties, competition, and the influence of a strong leader—and concludes with a detailed account of its passenger operations in Indiana. Sixteen maps, 87 photographs, and other evocative illustrations supplement Sanders's text.
The years 1980 until 1993, a time we call the New York days, are the final unknown piece of the jigsaw puzzle that was Freddie Mercury's life. (Rock superstar and always dynamic front man of Queen). In fact, the movie Bohemian Rhapsody basically skipped over this important time of his life, moving from 1980 to 1984 in maybe fifteen to twenty seconds. My close friends Lee Nolan, Joe Scardilli, and John Murphy were eager to meet Freddie when he returned in 1981 after I had first met him in 1980. Freddie and his twenty-four-hour attendant and loyal friend, Peter Freestone, liked our group and wanted very much to be a part of it. At that time, many of New York City's residents and day-trippers from Long Island and New Jersey knew Queen's music but could not identify the band members. Freddie felt free and absolutely cherished this newly found and so-unavailable-in-Europe nonrecognition. He had recently grown a mustache, cut his hair short, wore jeans and tee shirts, and blended in perfectly with the gay culture in New York-we mostly all looked alike! Freddie loved being just "one of the boys." Unfortunately, John and Joe have passed on. Lee and I, however, continued the relationship beyond 1986 when we were invited several times to Freddie's beloved Garden Lodge in the heart of London. Lee was the constant photographer and has preserved a great many of these photos, which have never been seen prior to our book. One of the last things that Freddie repeated to Lee on our last visit, June 1991, was to "make these photos work for you, darling!" You will see wonderful photos of Freddie, off the stage and participating in the real world. You will see fun and excitement in his face at every turn of the page. Enjoy! Thor Arnold and Lee Nolan
